


Harry Potter Rewrite

by Moncey1



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:40:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27350593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moncey1/pseuds/Moncey1
Summary: Following mostly with the films, but with addition of book stuff. Starts at beginning of 3rd year. First year is the same as Canon, but there are a couple major changes to 2nd year, which will be shown through flashbacks and characters thoughts. There will be a couple changes to canon straight off the bat, but nothing major until the end of 3rd year.I will add tags as the story goes on. If you feel that there should be a tag that isn't there, then feel free to let me know.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Harry Potter, Harry Potter/Nymphadora Tonks, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood/Harry Potter
Comments: 20
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

“Wait up” Ron called, attempting to catch up with Harry and Hermione as they walked down the train, the bustle of other students causing frustration to show on the ginger’s face. 

“Where’d you go?” Harry asked, having noticed Ron disappear just after they got on the train.

“Forgot Scabbers” Ron said, holding the large brown rat up for the other two to see. “Mum looked like she was going to pop.”

Harry snorted in amusement at the mental image, while Hermione just shook her head and rolled her eyes before turning and carrying on down the corridor. 

Just as they were nearing the back of the train, Harry glanced into a passing compartment, his eyes widening briefly before reaching out and taking Hermione’s wrist, causing her to stop and turn.

“Harry?”

“It’s Mad-Eye” Harry said, causing Hermione and Ron to also look through the compartment window.

True enough, standing there in the centre of an expanded compartment was one Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, along with three other men, who looked to be conversing amongst themselves, severe looks on each of their faces.

Without thinking, Harry reached down and took hold of the handle to the door, pulling the wooden sliding door aside before stepping in.

“Mr Moody?”

(---------------(flashback)---------------)

Harry looked up as something knocked hard against the large wooden doors that lead into the headmaster’s office, his body turning slightly in the seat that Professor Dumbledore conjured for him.

“Come in” the headmaster called, looking up himself from having been peering into Harry’s face.

The twin handles on the door twisted down as the door swung inwards, allowing in the straight-backed form of Professor McGonagall along with three other figures that he didn’t recognise.

The first stranger that Harry’s eyes gravitated to was a tall redheaded woman who was keeping pace with McGonagall. Her deep red hair was cut short and fell just past her firm jawline, the hair pulled back behind her ears to keep it out of her face.

A silver monocle was perched over one eye, which had the effect of causing the woman’s already hard looking face to appear even more square and firm.

Even though Harry couldn’t call her beautiful, he also wouldn’t think of her as ugly either. Harry thought back to watching the news with the Dursleys, where the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, had given a speech. Uncle Vernon had looked fondly at the woman and had proudly declared her to be a very handsome woman.

Though this woman, dressed in a mix between a Muggle business suit and a set of traditional robes, was definitely far more pleasing to look at than the rather creepy woman on TV, the term ‘handsome’ was still the only way Harry could think of describing her.

The second person was a man even taller than the woman. He was walking slightly behind said redhead and McGonagall, his sharp eyes flicking around the room, seeming to be trying to take everything in.

His hair was thick and well-groomed, seeming to surround his head like a lion’s mane, the equally perfectly cut beard only adding to the look

Like the woman, he wore a strange combo of Muggle suit and wizard robes. Though unlike the woman, he also wore a long dark red leather coat that fell to his ankles. The garment was covered in pockets of all sizes, reminding Harry of Hagrid's more-pocket-than-coat thick brown coat.

The last person to enter had actually stopped after walking through the doors, quickly turning to pull them closed again before turning and hobbling over to a dark corner where he stood stiffly and just watched everyone else.

Harry was slightly taken aback when his eyes fell upon the man’s heavily scarred face. He then even felt a little sick when he caught the man’s eye and realised that it wasn’t even a real one, as it sat in a strap over an empty socket, the fake continually spinning around in all directions, even turning to look into his own head.

“Ahh, Madame Bones” Dumbledore said, causing Harry’s head to swivel back round to face the old man, who had stood from his chair and was currently holding his arms out to his sides as if to embrace someone. “I’m glad to have you in our school once more, though, alas, if only it was under better circumstances.”

“As do I Headmaster” the woman, Madame Bones, replied. “Professor McGonagall has already filled me in on what has happened, though knowing you as I do, I’m sure there’s something more you know of the situation than the rest of us could dream?” She finished as if asking a question, a single quizzical eyebrow raised.

“For once, no,” Dumbledore said with a fond smile. “It is infact young Mister Potter here that I believe to be the most knowledgeable of the events that have transpired tonight.” 

The mention of “events” caused Harry to stiffen in his seat, thinking back to half an hour before, when he had come across the petrified form of Mrs Norris, the cantankerous caretaker's red-eyed cat.

“Is that so?” Madame Bones asked, turning her steely look onto Harry, before her face seemed to soften, and turning to pull over a small wooden chair, she sat down facing Harry.

“Mr Potter, my name is Amelia Bones, I work for the Auror Office at the Ministry of magic, I’d like to ask you some questions if that’s okay with you?” 

At Harry’s blank look, Professor McGonagall stepped forward and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “The Aurors are the wizarding world’s police Mr Potter, Madame Bones is just here to ask about what happened tonight.”

Harry visibly calmed at the professor’s words, looking to her and nodding before turning back to Madame Bones.

“Okay.”

(---------------(present)---------------)

Madame Bones had spent the next hour asking Harry all the questions under the sun, attempting to find out exactly  _ everything  _ that he knew. This led to Harry uncomfortably admitting to hearing voices before arriving at the water sodden corridor, as well as what those voices had said.

Once everything was said, Madame Bones and Professor Dumbledore had both thanked and praised him on his help and honesty, causing him to swell with pride in front of the adults, before McGonagall had placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him out of the room, leading him back to Gryffindor Tower, where he promptly fell asleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow.

The next morning at breakfast, Professor McGonagall had stood in front of the school and introduced them all to Mr Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, a most famous Auror and dark wizard catcher, who would be staying at the school until the culprit that had petrified Mrs Norris was caught.

Many students were confused as to why the Auror was even there when all that had happened had been a cat getting frozen. That was until the rumour mill got to work and it was revealed that it had been dark magic that had caused the cat’s predicament.

After that was out, no one questioned why the scary old man was there.

“Harry!” Hermione said sharply, shocked at Harry barging into the compartment.

“Mad-Eye!” Harry said, causing the four men to turn and look at him.

“Ah, Potter,” Moody said in his gravelly tone. 

“What are you doing here?” Harry asked, looking between the men. “Is it about Sirius Black?”

Moody shared a look with the other men, seeming to silently convey orders.

The three men, two dressed in Auror robes and the other in shabby work robes, turned and left the compartment, the two Aurors heading toward the front of the train while the last man headed for the back.

Moody hobbled past Harry and Hermione, the latter having followed Harry into the compartment, grabbed Ron, who was still standing in the corridor, pulled him into the compartment, and then closed the door, turning to face the three third years.

“What do you know of Sirius Black, Potter?” Moody asked, his one good eye focused entirely on Harry, while his magical one flicked between Ron and Hermione.

“Just what Mr Weasley told me.”

“And what’s that?”

“He was a follower of You-Kno…”

“Voldemort, Potter” Moody cut him off. “His name is Voldemort, fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself.” Moody said, his look sharp.

“Err, yeah, Voldemort” Harry said. “He was a follower of Voldemort, and he wants to kill me for whatever I did to him.”

“To an extent I suppose” Moody said, a feral grin on his scarred face. 

“So you’re here to protect Harry?” Hermione asked, flinching slightly as Mad-Eye’s mad eye fixed on her.

“And the rest of you.”

“Sir?”

“The Minister has seen fit to sic the Dementors of Azkaban on Black, which includes having them posted at Hogwarts in the chance he decides to show up.”

“Dementors?” Harry asked.

“They’re dark creatures that guard Azkaban, Harry” Hermione spoke, a worried look flashing over her face. “They’re completely ruthless, not to mention inhumane. The Ministry allows them to live off of the souls and misery of Azkaban’s prisoners.”

“Precisely” Moody growled. “Bones and Dumbledore managed to convince the Wizengamot to allow Aurors to be posted at Hogwarts in the case the Dementors get a bit peckish and decide to feast on a student or two.” 

“How many of you are there?” Ron asked, his face pailing at Moody’s words.

“Just me and the men you just saw, we’ll be on the train until we get to Hogsmeade, Dumbledore talked your new defense professor into traveling with us as well.”

“What, the man in the shabby robes?” Ron asked.

“Yeah, Lupin, not a bad wizard that one, you lot might finally have a half decent teacher this year.” 

With that, Moody turned and limped out of the compartment. Before closing the door behind him, he looked at the trio one by one, before, in a booming voice said, “and remember,  **_CONSTANT VIGILANCE_ ** !!!”

And with that, he closed the door and turned to march toward the back of the train.

“Screw loose that one” Ron muttered, shaking his head before sitting heavily down onto a bench.

“I think he’s fascinating” Hermione said, sitting down beside Harry who had taken a seat opposite Ron.

“You would,” Ron replied, grinning.

“What, he saved your life didn’t he? If it wasn’t for him and Professor Snape, you’d still be stuck in the Chamber of Secrets.”

Harry rolled his eyes at the two’s bickering, though he couldn’t help but mentally agree with Hermione, if it hadn’t been for the slightly crazy old man’s help, he’d likely be rotting beside Ginny in the Chamber.

(---------------(flashback)---------------) 

Harry’s eyes widened in horror as the mouth of the giant stone head began to open up, the sound of stone grinding against stone causing his ears to ring.

The sight of something huge beginning to exit the stone maw caused Harry to jerk back into motion, spinning on his heel and taking off in a mad run toward the parseltongue protected entrance.

Something large and wet thudded against the wet stone of the Chamber floor, causing Harry to jolt and slip on the sodden ground.

Harry threw his arms over his head as he felt the presence of the basilisk behind him, ready for the strike to come.

With a great hissing roar, the beast reared back before striking at Harry’s unprotected back, but before it could pierce the boy, a loud sonic boom and a wave of energy slammed against its head, knocking it back into one of the large serpent heads that lined the walkway, shattering the stone bust as if it were made of glass.

“Potter!”

Harry looked up from where he had buried his face in the ground to come eye-to-eye with Moody, who was standing several metres away, his gnarled staff in his right hand and a tattered old hat in his left.

“Catch!” Moody called, tossing the hat to him before reaching into his coat and pulling out a wand.

Harry caught the hat in both hands, nearly dropping it when it felt much heavier than he expected.

Glancing into the hat itself, Harry’s eyes widened once again as they caught upon something glinting within.

“Use it!” Moody said, before his eyes flicked up to just above Harry’s head.

Without thinking, Harry turned and looked up, coming face to face with the basilisk. He felt his body seize up in fright, completely expecting to find the serpent's eyes boring into his own.

But instead of two huge eyes, Harry found himself staring at the ruined and malformed face of a heavily bleeding basilisk.

Whatever Mad-Eye had done to knock back the basilisk, it had caused its head to partially explode. The creatures once deadly eyes were now just empty sockets bubbling with black blood.

The same blood which was also pouring from its mouth, which was missing half of its teeth.

“SWORD!” Harry heard the voice of Mad-Eye bellow from behind him.

Harry jerked, and then thrust his hand into the hat, before, a second later, pulling out a glinting silver sword, its handle encrusted with sparkling rubies.

In a single fluid motion, Harry tore the sword from the hat, twisted his wrist so the sword was pointed up, and thrust with all his might upwards, straight into the basilisk’s mouth.

As the sword hit home, Harry felt a force wrap around his body, before he was flung sideways, landing in a puddle.

Looking up, Harry just in time saw Moody, who’s wand was still pointed in his direction, raised his staff high into the air, before slamming it back down into the ground.

Harry’s hands flew to cover his ears as another loud sonic boom erupted from the staff, and a half-moon shaped red arc burst from where the staff met the ground.

The red arc flew across the chamber, striking the basilisk in the centre point of its reared up body.

With a great bang, the snake flew back toward where Riddle was still stood, a beyond shocked look on his face, where it sailed over his head, crashing against the large bust of Salazar Slytherin, before crumbling into a pile at its base, unmoving.

(---------------(present)---------------)

“Why the hell have you got books for all the electives?” Ron asked as Hermione rifled through her bag full of travel books. “You can’t even attend all the classes.”

Hermione rolled her eyes before pulling out a book on runes.

“I talked with Professor McGonagall before the end of last year, she’s agreed to set me up with some tutors so I can do the exams for all the possible classes.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Harry asked worriedly, noticing like Ron just how many books Hermione had. 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Hermione asked, utterly confused. 

“Well,” Harry started, clearing his throat before picking his words carefully. “We already have seven compulsory classes right? If you add an extra five classes you’ll be spending your entire awake time studying and doing homework, surely that can’t be good for you?”

Hermione ducked her head at Harry’s words, chewing on her bottom lip while thinking them over.

“But, I’ve already told you I want to get a job at the Ministry when we leave Hogwarts, if I get as many O.W.Ls as possible then even the bigots on high like Mr Malfoy can’t say anything against it, and the only way to do that is to complete all the classes available.”

Harry chuckled in fond amusement, putting his arm around Hermione’s shoulders before pulling her into a hug. “Hermione, I love you to bits, and you’re probably the smartest witch at school, but your logic is pretty flawed.”

Hermione shot up, slapping a laughing Harry on the chest while her face went from a light blush at his closeness to bright red in slight indignation.

“My logic is not flawed Harry Potter!” Hermione growled, her voice higher than normal. “And you can shut up too!” she huffed, leveling a frown at an also laughing Ron. 

“Sorry Hermione, but you can’t say I’m wrong” Harry replied, his hands up in a placating manner. “Just think about it like this, yeah? Even for a job at the Ministry, you’re not going to need all the O.W.Ls under the sun. For one, I doubt divination or care is going to come up in any job interviews, as for Muggle studies, you’re a Muggle Born, you live with two Muggles, you could probably do the O.W.L right now and do better that all of the Pureblood seventh years put together!”

“Well,” Hermione said, again chewing on her bottom lip. “I guess you’re right, but I’ve already sorted it with Professor McGonagall, I can’t back out now!”

“Why not?” Harry asked. “McGonagall’s pretty cool, I’m sure she wouldn’t much care if you dropped a couple electives to focus on ones far more important.”

Hermione sighed as she found all her arguments disappear at Harry’s logic. “I guess you’re right. Fine, I’ll talk to Professor McGonagall after the feast.”

“Great,” Harry said happily, unnoticing the way Hermione was slightly blushing as she watched him out the corner of her eye. 

(-------------------------)

  
  


“We there already?” Ron asked with a yawn, jerking from his light sleep as the train gave a jerk and began to slow down.

“We shouldn’t be” Hermione replied, closing her book and leaning past Harry to look out the window. “We should still have about an hour.”

The train let out a high screech as it slowed to a stop, causing the trio to briefly cover their ears.

“Um, guys?” Harry said, causing the other two to look where he was, at the window, which was seeming to ice over.

“What the hell?” Ron squeaked out, a puff of icey breath blowing from his mouth. 

As one, the friends all shook in their seats, the feeling of an icy hand brushing over their skin causing said skin to prickle and their hair to stand on end.

“What the fucks going on?” Ron whimpered, his head whipping between the door and window.

“Language, R...” Hermione started, but Harry’s hand on her knee paused her in her reprimand. 

“Something’s on the train” Harry said in a calm voice.

Just as he said that, the window on the door crackled as ice began to consume it from every side, and a second later a cloaked arm appeared on the right side of the door, reaching for the handle.

The trio sat in frozen horror as the door slid open, revealing a tall black-cloaked figure in its place.

“D-Dementor” Ron stuttered out, his body unconsciously pushing itself into the corner of the compartment.

“Harry!” Hermione gasped out as she also slid back in her seat, but unlike Ron, she had Harry behind her.

Feeling Hermione press into his front, Harry’s arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her back into his shoulder, as her head whipped from staring at the Dementor, to boring into his chest, her hands gripping tightly onto his clothes.

Harry’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as the Dementor slowly turned its head to him, a large maw opening in the centre of its face, letting out a wheezing breath as it began to slowly creep toward him.

As the creature approached, Harry felt his eyes beginning to close, blackness encroaching into the centre of his vision.

The last thing he heard as he slipped into unconsciousness was the pained scream of a woman.

(-------------------------)

“Harry?”

“Harry?!”

Harry’s eyes slowly blinked open, taking in the brightly lit compartment.

“Thank God” Hermione gasped, pulling Harry into a hug, before helping him off the floor and onto the bench.

“You alright their Potter?”

Harry looked over to Mad-Eye, who was stood in the doorway, his good eye focused on him while his magical one was watching the corridor.

“Yeah,” Harry replied. “What happened?”

“Dementors boarded the train, looking for Black” Moody growled out, his lip turning up in a snarl.

“Mr Moody chased it off” Hermione said, rubbing Harry’s shoulder with a soothing hand.

Moody turned just as the raggedly dressed man appeared behind him, wand in hand.

“A second year girl was attacked, Dawlish arrived before the Dementor could administer the kiss, but had to stun the girl.”

Moody grunted in acknowledgement before limping past Lupin. 

“Potter needs seeing to” he grunted before disappearing beyond the carriage door. 

The slightly grey haired man rolled his eyes at Moody’s bluntness, before stepping into the compartment and crouching in front of Harry.

“What happened?” he asked while searching his pockets for something.

“I don’t know” Harry replied, his voice still shaky. “I heard a scream and then the next thing I know I’m on the floor.”

“A scream?” Ron asked. “Nobody screamed, Harry.”

“Here,” Lupin said gently, handing Harry a small bar of chocolate. “It helps.”

Harry took the proffered chocolate and bit into it, instantly feeling his previously cold body begin to warm up.

“Thanks.”

“Madame Pomfrey will likely want to see you as soon as we arrive. I suggest you go before the feast, otherwise our dear healer may just drag you from the Hall.”

Harry and Ron chuckled at the man’s words, while Hermione just smiled warmly at Harry.

“I’ll see you all at the feast,” Lupin said, before standing and leaving the compartment, closing the door behind him.

(-------------------------)

“Are you going to be alright?” Hermione asked, watching Harry as he walked up the large stairway outside the Great Hall.

“I’ll be fine” Harry replied, rolling his eyes goodnaturedly at his friend. “I’ll see you in a bit” he raised his hand in a wave to Hermione and Ron before turning and ascending the stairs.

“Mr Potter” Madam Pomfrey sighed out as he entered the hospital wing. “I do believe this is a new record for you arriving in my humble abode.”

“It’s not my fault!” Harry whined in a petulant manner.

“It never is, is it?” the woman replied, an eyebrow raised and a slight upturn of her lips.

“You know the drill.”

Harry sighed and flopped down onto a bed, bouncing back up into a sitting position.

Pomfrey shook her head as she walked over to him, taking out her wand and beginning to wave it up and down his body, focusing briefly on different spots.

“Looks fine” Pomfrey muttered. “It seems you finally have a defense professor that knows what he’s doing. You can go, Mr Potter, but make sure you have plenty to eat at the feast, exposure to a Dementor can make you extremely hungry.”

“Thank you, Madam.” 

As Harry pushed open the door to leave, he was almost bowled over by a small skipping blonde girl.

“Ah, Miss Lovegood” Pomfrey said upon seeing the girl. “What took you so long? I asked for you to be sent straight to me.”

“I’m sorry Madam Pomfrey, but when I tried getting on the carriages, a savage pack of Dabberblimps pulled at my hair and clothes, preventing me from getting in.” She caught Harry’s eye, and leaning toward him, spoke in a stage whisper-like voice. “I think they may have come to settle in the Black Lake, I don’t think the Merpeople will be too happy to know that they are encroaching on their waters.”

With that, she stood up straight and her mouth broke into a beaming smile, before skipping over to the bed Harry had just sat on, and layed down on it with her feet on the pillows and head at the foot of the bed.

(-------------------------) 

“What did I miss?” Harry asked as he took a seat between Ron and Hermione.

“The sorting just finished.” 

“For those returning, welcome back once again to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!” Dumbledore said, standing from his throne-like chair. “As for our first years, may I welcome you all to our hallowed halls. I hope the next few years will be most enjoyable for you all!”

“First of all, may I introduce you to this year’s brand new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin.” 

“Secondly, I’d like to announce that our long-term groundskeeper and keeper of the keys, Hagrid, has agreed to join the faculty in becoming our new Care of Magical Creatures professor.”

Dumbledore paused to allow a round of applause, before continuing in a more serious tone.

“I’m sure many of you already know of the escape from Azkaban by one Sirius Black, and those that don’t will no doubt know by the time of entering your dormitories. Anyhow, the Minister has seen fit to station a large contingent of Dementors at the school, in the case that Black decides to show up. After much talk with Madam Bones of the Auror office, we have come to the agreement of allowing a small team of Aurors to also be posted at the school until the Dementors have left the grounds…”

“Psst, Potter, Potter!”

Harry turned his head to face the next table over, making eye contact with Draco Malfoy, who was sitting opposite.

“Is it true what happened on the train, that you fainted?”

Blaise Zabini, who was sat beside Malfoy, raised his hand to his forehead and made as if he was fainting.

Several other Slytherins around them chuckled and laughed at it all.

“Ignore him, Harry” Ron muttered, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him back around.

They turned back to the head table in time to see Dumbledore sitting back down in his seat.

“Let the feast, begin!” he called, before tons upon tons of food appeared on aloof the tables.


	2. Chapter 2

“Why on Earth would Professor Dumbledore allow that woman to work here?” Hermione muttered angrily, her eyes narrowed to slits as she glared up at the staff table. “She went completely over the line in class today, how dare she single you out like that!”

“Hermione, it’s fine,” Harry said, placing his hand on her clenched fist.

Hermione huffed before just nodding to Harry and turned back to her ancient runes book that she had open on the table.

“Trelawney’s always been like that” Katie Bell piped up from a few seats down, getting the trio’s attention.

“What you mean?” Ron asked around a mouthful of porkpie. 

“I’m guessing she “foresaw” Harry’s death or something?” Katie continued, her fingers doing air quotes at ‘foresaw’.

The three third years just nodded.

“Yeah, she does that every year with every class” Katie shook her head and rolled her eyes. “For our first class yesterday she claimed Charlie Cotton was going to fall from the Astronomy Tower after being struck by green lightning.”

The group laughed at the absurdity of the “prediction”, all four glancing over to the fourth year Hufflepuff, who was trying to keep a long white beard out of his food.

“When did he grow a beard?” Hermione asked with an arched brow.

“One of Fred and George’s new sweets” Ron chuckled. “They were handing them out on the train, and Cotton was the only one stupid enough the take one.”

“Hey, you guys know what happened to Malfoy?” Katie asked, causing the others to turn and look over at the Slytherin boy, who was surrounded by a dozen of his housemates.

“Idiot got cocky in Hagrid’s Care class” Ron said, a smirk crossing his face. “Got scratched by a Hippogriff.”

“It’s not funny Ron” Harry said, a frown on his face as he glared at the Slytherin’s head. “Knowing Mr Mafoy, the man won’t stop until Hagrid’s gone from the castle for this.”

“We better get going” Hermione said suddenly, shoving her book into her bag. “Defense class in ten minutes.”

“Finally, a decent class” Ron sighed. “According to Percy, Lupin found a Boggart in the staff room, he’s gonna use it in class!”

“He’s been sighted, he’s been sighted!” Seamus Finnigan yelled as he hurtled into the Great Hall, stopping between Harry and Hermione and slamming the Daily Prophet newspaper onto the table.

“What?” Hermione asked, slightly startled from Seamus charging in, as several other Gryffindors began to crowd round, and students from other tables looked on in confusion.

“Sirius Black!” Seamus wheezed out. “He’s been spotted near Dufftown.”

“Dufftown?” Hermione asked, her voice suddenly sharp as she pushed past her fellow Gryffindors to grab the paper. “That’s not far from here!”

Hermione suddenly flinched back as the Prophet was ripped from her hands.

“I’ll be taking that Miss Granger,” Professor Snape said in his usual smooth voice. 

With a single quick glance at the newspaper in his hand, Snape turned and stalked from the room at a brisk pace. 

  
  


(-------------------------)

  
  


“Hiya there Harry.”

Harry looked up from the log he was sat on.

“Morning Professor” Harry replied to his Defence Professor.

“Not going to Hogsmeade?” Lupin asked, a confused look on his worn pale face.

“My uncle didn’t sign the permission slip” Harry replied dully, turning to look back out at the lake.

“Ah” Lupin replied, his face relaxing back as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned his body to look out at the Black Lake.

“Beautiful” the man said in a soft voice. “You see that little island?” he said, jutting his head in the direction of a small island toward the centre of the lake, a lone tree jutting up from a clump of large rocks.

“Sir” Harry replied in confirmation, his head turning slightly so he could look up at the man, a far-away look on his gaunt face.

“On nicer days, your mother would go out there to read in peace, which as you likely know by now, is hard to find around the castle.”

The man paused to smile as Harry chuckled at his words.

“Your father, and a couple friends, would swim out when she had her nose buried too far into the pages to notice, just to pester her to hang out with them and have fun. Fascinatingly, after a while it actually worked.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah” the man said, turning a twinkling gaze onto Harry. “You’ll never guess the amount of fun she had coming up with ways to get them to sod off and leave her be. I remember, one time she actually managed to convince a couple mermaids she had befriended to sit with her and pelt rocks at them when they tried to get near.” 

“Another time she lured the giant squid over to the island with some enlarged fish. When your dad and his friends got close, the creature grabbed them and flung them back to shore. He must have bounced like a stone at least ten times before sinking like one.”

Lupin had to stop his tale as he was practically bent at the waist, chuckling like a mad man, as Harry did the same from his log, his hands whipping happy tears from his cheeks.

After a while, Harry looked back up at the Professor, who was again looking out at the water.

“So you knew them, my mum and dad I mean?”

“Yeah, same year, James was practically my closest friend from the moment he sat down at the Gryffindor table. Lily I was on alright terms with, we enjoyed similar classes and such, add to the fact James spent most of his time trying to get her to go out with him, and in turn I spent most of my time with him, and I guess we were all close.”

“You miss them,” it wasn't a question.

“More than anything” Lupin muttered out, turning a tearful smile onto the third year, before patting him on the shoulder and wandering back up to the castle.

  
  


(-------------------------)

  
  


“What’s going on?” Harry asked as the trio ascended the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room.

The Halloween feast had just ended and the entirety of Gryffindor house had made their way back to the Tower. Dozens if Gryffindors were crowded around the portrait hole, none going through, while many more were making their way up the moving staircases.

It’s the Fat Lady” Ginny said as she pushed her way down the stairs through the throng. “She’s gone!”

“What? Why?” Seamus asked from beside Ron.

“It’s the painting, it’s been slashed” Ginny squeaked out, causing the third years to gasp and begin to pass the information onto others further down the stairs.

“Make way, make way!” an authoritative voice yelled from further up the stairs, past the portrait hole. “Move out the way, Headmaster coming through.”

Everyone perked up and peered over and around heads and shoulders to get a look at Headmaster Dumbledore, who was rushing down the steps, Percy infront of him, carving a path through the students, with McGonagall and Filch following just behind.

“Potter” a voice muttered out as the limping Mad-Eye pushed past the huddle of third years, his magical eye flicking briefly to Harry before he pushed on past the crowd, meeting Dumbledore at the junction up ahead. 

Dumbledore came to a stop at the slashed painting, delicately brushing a hand along one of the drooping pieces of torn canvas.

“Search every painting in the school, get the ghosts to help if you have to” he spoke in a low voice, his eyes moving from Filch to Percy, “I want the Fat Lady found.”

“No need Albus” the scarred Auror growled out, pointing with his ‘walking stick’ to the opposite wall, several metres above them. “She’s there.”

The man’s words caused an instant effect on the students, who began to charge up the stairs, attempting to find out what was going on. 

“My dear, who did this to you?” Dumbledore asked in a low sympathetic voice as he forced his way to the painting that the Fat Lady was hiding in.

“It’s the one they’ve all been talking about, he’s here Headmaster, Sirius Black!”


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey Harrikins!”

Harry looked up from the book he had been reading, himself sat upon a bench in the courtyard beneath the large charmed clock.

“Hey guys” he replied to the twin redheads, who took a seat on either side of him.

“How’s the arm?” the one on his left asked, an unusual tone of concern in his voice.

“Better” Harry replied, placing his book on his lap and flexing his right hand.

“Heard from Wood that Diggory offered a rematch” the twin on his right said.

“Surprised Ollie didn’t take it” the other finished.

“What’s going on?” Harry asked suddenly, standing up and taking a couple steps away before turning and eyeing the twins steadily.

“Whatever do you mean?” 

“We’re just having a conversation, are we not?”

Harry looked back and forth between the twin Weasleys, sweet innocent smiles on their faces.

“We’ve never talked this long without you either making a joke or pulling a prank” Harry replied. 

Fred and George briefly looked to each other, a silent conversation seeming to take place in a single second, before the twins stood from their seats and strode forwards, taking one of Harry’s arms each.

“Come with us.”

“And keep quiet.”

The two dragged him through the large entryway and round a corner, before halting in a darkened alcove.

“What’s going on?” Harry asked frustratedly, a confused look on his face.

“This the twin on his left said, pulling a folded piece of parchment from the inside of his thick winter robes.

(-------------------------)

“Card from your parents?” Harry asked, dropping onto the plush sofa facing the Common Room fireplace.

“Yeah” Hermione replied, flashing him a picture of a robin on the front of said card.

“Just apologizing for the late minute work trip” Hermione said, a slightly sad look on her face. “Mum says we can go to France for the Summer though, to make up for not spending Christmas at home.”

“Something to look forward to then” Ron piped up, sitting himself down in an armchair. “Look here, Harry.”

The redhead held out a long rectangular parcel covered in brown packaging. 

“Found it in the corner of the dorm, House Elves must have got confused.” 

Harry’s hand shot to Hermione’s arms, giving it a quick comforting squeeze before she could get herself wound up over the school owning House Elves. 

He still remembered the ‘Christmas Gate’ of the previous year, so dubbed by Dean after he was told about the firestorm of fury when Ron explained to Hermione how the presents were delivered to not only the right dorms, but the right beds too. 

“It’s got your name on it” Ron said, showing Harry the small brown name tag.

“A bit big to be just sweets” Hermione said, a nervous look on her face. “Maybe we should get a Professor before opening it.”

“Are you kidding?” Ron asked, shoving the parcel into Harry’s lap, who was so caught up by Ron’s exuberance, quickly forgot Hermione’s warrines and began tearing into the wrapping. 

Soon he was holding the newest and shiniest broom in his lap, his hands stroking reverently over the shaft of the dark brown Firebolt.

“No way!” Ron yells, quickly grabbing Harry by the arm and pulling him and the broom out of the Common Room.

“Wait! Harry, Ron!” Hermione shouted after them, but her shouts fell on deaf ears.

(-------------------------)

“Merlin!” Ron gasped out as he came to a skidding stop on the muddy grass of the Quidditch field, his normally pale face now bright red from the cold air and exertion. “That’s what you call a fast broom!”

“I know right?” Harry said, a wide smile on his own pink face.

“Harry, Harry!”

The two friends turned toward the castle as a small first year Gryffindor came jogging onto the field, making his way in their direction.

“Hey, Kevin” Harry addressed the sandy-haired boy. “What’s up?”

“It’s Professor McGonagall” Kevin the first year rasped. “She wants to see you in her office.”

Harry and Ron shared a confused look before turning back to the younger boy, with Harry signalling for him to lead the way.

(-------------------------)

“I cannot believe the utter  _ stupidity  _ that has overtaken the  _ both  _ of you!” McGonagall growled out, her wide eyed glare passing back and forth between Harry and Ron.

“There is a bloody mass murdering _psychopath_ on the run, who was inside this very castle not two months ago with the aim to _murder_ _you_ , and you don’t even _question_ a brand new state of the art broom landing in your lap out of the blue?” 

“But Profess-”

“Quiet Weasley!” McGonagall snapped, turning a withering glare onto Ron.

The woman closed her eyes for a few seconds, seeming to try and calm herself down.

“The broom will be confiscated and sent to Professor Flitwick for inspection. If nothing is shown to be amiss then it will be returned, otherwise it will be sent to the Ministry for inspection by the Auror office.”

“Okay Professor” Harry replied, his head down and shoulders hunched.

“You will both be spending the first few weekends of the new term in detention with myself, this is not negotiable” she finished, her eyes fixed on Ron who’d begun to speak up.

“Dismissed.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Thank you for letting me watch, Professor Lupin.”

“No problem Hermione, just remember to keep any questions to the end, Harry needs to be able to concentrate.”

“Of course” Hermione replied, nodding in agreement before taking a seat in the corner of the Defense Professor’s office, flashing a quick smile and thumbs up to Harry.

“Right” Lupin started, turning a steady eye onto Harry, who was stood a few feet away. “You remember the wand movements?”

“Yes Sir, a spiral starting from below and going counterclockwise.” 

“Precisely, very well remembered Harry. Why don’t we start with giving it a go, sans incantation.”

The next couple minutes was spent with them going through the movement until Harry and practically perfected it. After that they spent a few minutes practicing the pronunciation of the spell, the two wizards pausing for a momentary chuckle as the sound of Hermione scratching away on a roll of parchment drowned out Harry’s own intoning. 

“Well, it seems like we’re ready to give it a go” Lupin said with a small smile, before turning and walking over to a large chest. “Now remember Harry, it’s just a Boggart, it can do you absolutely no harm.”

“I’m ready,” Harry said confidently, squaring his shoulders and giving the shabby professor a slight nod as he raised his wand.

A moment later and the lid of the chest was thrown open, allowing a dark, cold fog to seep out, soon followed by a tall darkly robed skeletal form. The creature soaring up out of the dark box and toward the room’s rafters, before just as quickly gliding back down until it was hovering barely a metre in front of Harry.

“Expecto, Patronum” Harry confidently called, following the wand movements precisely.

Nothing happened. A deep rasping noise sounded from the Boggart’s wide mouth.

“Expecto, Patronum!” Harry said again, this time a bit louder, his back straightening and wand jabbing toward the shadowed monster.

Again, nothing. The Boggart swooped forward till it was face-to-face with Harry, the third year’s nose nearly brushing his opponents more skeletal one.

“Expec… Expecto-”

_ “Harryyy-” _

Darkness.

“Harry? Oh, Professor, I think he’s waking up!”

“Easy there Harry,” Lupin said as he crouched down beside the boy, who began to groggily blink open his eyes. “Here.”

“Thanks” Harry muttered, taking the glasses that the man was offering, and putting them back on his face. “What happened?”

“It appears that the Boggart overwhelmed you, causing your memory to go back to the night on the Train, and making you react as you did then.”

“I’m never going to get this spell figured out, am I?” Harry asked, looking to Lupin after taking a piece of chocolate that Hermione was holding out for him.

“Never say never” Lupin replied with a small smile, patting Harry on the shoulder before standing up straight and offering his hands out for the two teens. “You’re forgetting that this is a particularly advanced charm that we are practicing, it is far beyond that even taught at N.E.W.T level, most witches and wizards that even do learn to use aren’t even able to harness it’s true potential.”

“Now” Lupin continued. “How about we try again?”

Harry took in a deep breath and raised his wand, turning his focus back again to the heavy black chest.

“You can do it Harry” Hermione spoke reassuringly, stepping up beside him and giving his hand a brief, tight squeeze, before walking over to her previous corner.

With a last glance at Hermione, who offered him a tiny smile and nod of the head, Harry steeled his shoulders and turned his eyes to Lupin, giving him the smallest of nods.

Lupin tapped his wand to the latch of the chest and sprung back, quickly backstepping away from the rising creature from within.

“Expecto, Patronum” Harry said forcefully, his eyes focused so intently on the Boggart that he didn’t notice the slight blue mist that poofed from the tip of his wand.

The Boggart focused on Harry, slowly hovering closer and closer, it’s blackened maw opening wider and wider.

Harry closed his eyes, reaching deep into the pool of magic that Lupin had told him was there, trying to pull and push it all into the tip of his wand.

His eyes opened. The Boggart was hovering not a hair’s breadth from himself. His chest tightened. His back straightened.

“Expecto Patronum!” 

Harry stumbled as the blast of power from his wand knocked him off balance.

A large hemisphere was hovering in the air between himself and the Boggart, the centre seemingly connected with the tip of his wand.

The creature lunged forward toward him, but bounced back as if in pain when connecting with the silvery blue charm.

The sound of halting laughter came from his left, causing him to turn and watch as Lupin practically danced from foot-to-foot, his eyes wide in amazement as he watched the charm push back the Boggart.

“You did, Harry! By Merlin you did it!”

With a forward thrust of his wand, Harry sharply backed the creature toward the chest, a second later Lupin bounded forward, and with a flick of his wand the Boggart was flung back inside with the lid securely shut and latched.

(-------------------------)

“What even was that?!” Ron asked with a wide eyed look for the sixth time in the past hour.

The Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw Quidditch match had ended half an hour ago to much surprise and amazement.

Almost an hour into the game, the whole stadium was filled with shock and fright as what appeared to be a trio of Dementors made their way onto the field. But before any of the present staff could do anything about it, Harry, who had noticed the Dementors begin to hover their way toward him, whipped his wand from the holster on his forearm, and cast the strongest Patronus Charm that he could conjure up.

Mere seconds later, the crowd were treated to the sight of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle falling a dozen feet from their brooms and landing in a heap on the sodden field, followed by Harry catching the Snitch before McGonagall could even find her voice and give the three Slytherins detention. 

“Honestly Ronald” Hermione sighed, her eyes practically rolling back into her skull. “Are you deaf? It was the Patronus Charm, Harry’s been practicing it for weeks.”

“Ignore Ron” Seamus said, nudging Hermione to get her attention as the small group entered the common room. “He’s probably just got beans blocking his ears, did you see him attack his breakfast this morning?”

“Shut up Seamus” Ron said with a slight scowl, giving the other boy a shove.

Seamus and Dean just carried on laughing, quickly escaping Ron’s annoyance by running up to the dorms, Neville following shortly behind after giving Ron a good natured pat on the back.

“I must say though Harry, it was very amazing to see” Hermione said pulling the still tired and sweaty boy over to their usual seats by the fireplace.

“Yeah? It’s not like you haven’t seen it before though” Harry replied.

“What, of course it was? In Professor Lupin’s office it was just like a small shield. Today on the field it was like a huge pulsing wave, blasting from your wand.”

“You’ve been reading too many of Ginny’s sappy romance books” Ron huffed, sitting down beside Harry on the red plush sofa.

“Give off Ron” Harry said, lightly hitting his red headed friend in the chest with a gold-laced cushion.

“Ron! Ron, you’ve got to come quick!” Nevilled yelled as a practically flew into the common room, taking the stairs two at a time.

“What, why?” Ron asked.

“Neville, what’s wrong?” Hermione asked, standing up quickly.

“Your bed” the slightly pudgy boy rasped out, his eyes focused on Ron. “It’s covered in blood, and fur.”

“Scabbers!” Ron squeaked out, before darting toward the stairs, knocking Neville out of the way. 

(-------------------------)

“Ron, I’m sure he’s fine, we can look for him tomorrow” Harry said through a yawn. 

“Yeah right” Ron replied, nodding in agreement as he climbed into his own bed, pulling the covers up to his chest. “It’s just, I told Hermione to keep that flea bag away from Scabbers, we’ve all seen how much that thing has it out for him.”

“We don’t know for sure that it was Crookshanks” Harry said softly. “There are dozens of ginger cats in the tower alone, it could have been anyone of them.”

Ron’s only reply was a snort of derision, a second later the candles by his bed flickered out.

(-------------------------)

“Aaaaaggggghhh!!!”

“Ron?!” Harry yelled, springing up out of his bed, his wand already in hand and pointed toward the screaming redhead. “Ron, what’s wrong?!”

“It was Him, Harry!” the other boy replied through a facefull of sweat and tears. “He was here, and-and he had a knife!”

“What’s going on in here?” Percy yelled as he threw open the dorm room door, a dozen sixth and seventh year boys behind him.

“It’s Sirius Black!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for yet another short chapter, I was originally going to pad this out further with some Buckbeak and then Divination stuff, but it's taken me long enough to write this much alone. I just really want to get to fourth year so we can get to branching away from Canon. Next chapter will be pretty long as it encompasses the end of year adventure, and then there will be one last shorter chapter to round off the year. Hope you're all as excited as I am to be getting on to some new and juicy stuff, as opposed to the pretty Canonical story so far.


End file.
